Job Description

Corporate Development Deal Lead

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Corporate Development Deal Lead to play a central role in executing the group’s inorganic growth strategy. This individual will lead full-cycle M&A transactions, from origination through to completion, working closely with senior management, private equity sponsors, and external advisers.

The role is suited to a commercially minded M&A professional with deep transaction experience who can operate independently, build trusted relationships with founders and advisers, and drive deals through to completion in a fast-paced, PE-backed environment.

Key Responsibilities

Deal Origination & Relationship Building

• Originate proprietary and intermediated acquisition opportunities across the financial services landscape.

• Build and maintain relationships with founders, management teams, advisers, and industry participants.

• Represent the business credibly in the market and articulate the group’s investment proposition.

End-to-End Transaction Execution

• Lead full-cycle M&A processes from initial screening through to deal completion.

• Assess strategic fit, value creation potential, and transaction risks.

• Lead valuation, structuring, pricing, and commercial negotiations.

• Coordinate and manage all due diligence workstreams (financial, commercial, legal, regulatory, tax, HR, IT).

• Negotiate transaction documentation (NDAs, HoTs, SPAs, TSAs, employment and shareholder agreements) alongside legal advisers.

• Prepare and present materials for executive leadership, boards, and PE investment committees.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as a trusted partner to the CEO, CFO, and senior leadership team.

• Work closely with private equity sponsors and investment teams.

• Manage external advisers including investment banks, accountants, lawyers, and consultants.

Integration & Value Creation

• Support post-deal integration planning in collaboration with operational and functional leaders.

• Ensure transaction rationale translates into executable value creation initiatives.

• Track deal performance against original investment cases.

Candidate Profile

Experience

• 10+ years’ M&A experience, gained in:

  • Corporate development / in-house M&A, and/or

  • Investment banking / M&A advisory at senior level.

• Proven track record of leading full-cycle transactions from origination to completion.

• Experience within financial services (e.g. insurance, wealth management, lending, payments, fintech or adjacent regulated sectors).

• Prior exposure to PE-backed environments strongly preferred.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong commercial judgement and deal instincts.

• Deep understanding of transaction mechanics, valuation, and deal structuring.

• Confident negotiator with the ability to engage credibly with founders and senior stakeholders.

• Highly organised, resilient, and comfortable operating in a high-volume, fast-moving deal environment.

• Low-ego, collaborative approach with the gravitas to operate at board and sponsor level.

• Hands-on mindset;comfortable owning deals end-to-end.

Location

• London-based role.

• Regular interaction with senior leadership and PE sponsors.

• Occasional UK and international travel as required.